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Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
1972
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Lovely relaxed vocals but the lyrics are too sickly sweet for my tastes and a bit repetitive. Superstition is amazing. Stevie Wonder's real name is Stevland Morris. 3/5
I went down the rabbit hole with Stevie Wonder after listening to this.... he has so many more catchy hits than I realized, many that have been covered so many times..... my favorite will always be 'Don't you worry 'bout a thing' but my newest discovery rivals my favorite - - 'Pastime paradise'; I'd never listened to the original, only the cover - Gangster's paradise
IMO Stevie is at his best when he does the funky soul numbers. Superstition is one of his most iconic songs, with killer guitar hooks and I love his funky snarling voice. But this album is marred by syrupy maudlin commercial tracks meant to sell records such as You are the sunshine, You and I, Looking for another pure love, and I believe. Yuck. If it had more Superstition it would be a 4 but the dreck pulls it down unfortunately
One of my all time favourite songs on this album - Superstition. So was looking forward to this, but i am sorry this song couldnot carry the rest of the album. It mostly sounded like lounge music to me. 2 Stars
This is the album that has "Superstition" on it, the rest of the album is pretty forgettable electronic keyboard and sleepy soulless blabbering. Songs just boring and don't go anywhere, like an essay written to pad length.
Arguably Stevie Wonder's best album, although I prefer "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life." Inarguably among one of the 1001 greatest albums of all time. "Maybe Your Baby" is an electro jam that feels contemporary in 2021. "Superstition" is an unskippable track for all people and all times.
This is an actual classic album. Stevie Wonder in his imperial period. It is hard to over-praise this record.
I love me some Stevie, and seeing him on this list will likely surprise no one. I think I actually own this record, but hadn't listened to it before today. I own and have listened to Songs in the Key of Life, and Hotter Than July, the latter of which I bought in a head shop in Macomb along with a book on how propaganda was making men's fashion more feminine (I threw away the book, still have the record). Anyway, based on my limited experience with his discography, Stevie's music is super consistent, and a joy. When I go back to hosting game nights again, I will be sure to dust off my copy of Talking Book. My personal enjoyment: 4/5 Did it belong on this list: 5/5
For every bit of magic on this album, there's something a little powderpuff about much of the rest of the material. I know we are all supposed to consider Stevie Wonder a genius, but Innervisions aside I'm not sure he's ever hit that kind of consistency. The funk-soul equivalent to Iron Maiden, then; stellar moments and a hogshead of filler
Undoubtedly a genius, sometimes his tracks are just too cheesy. However, when he wants to get funky then his squelching synths and cry baby bass is amazing. Best Tracks: Maybe Your Baby; Tuesday Heartbreak; Superstition
Typical Stevie Wonder album, Some of the best music ever and some of the most self indulgent crap on the same disk. Loved some of it but hated that I didn't love it all.
An album of two halves. The well known tracks are some of Stevie's best. The album tracks are a bit bland and dull, frankly. However, any record with a song as strong as I Believe can't be all bad, right? For me, Innervisions is a better record for the cohesion and clarity of purpose.
Superstition is an all time great song. Shame the rest of the album sounds nothing like it. Not bad, just gives you a glimpse of some of his best work for one song and the rest is mid.
Not a fan of soul/R&B and the cheesy schmaltz of the opening track ‘you are the sunshine of my life’ was a terrible start. Sorry Stevie, not for me
Absolutely outstanding and unique view of Stevie’s music. Not being super familiar with his work outside of any of the hits, this really helped me appreciate a bit more of the work that I guess was not considered as “commercial” at the time.
Fantastic!! Now we are getting somewhere. The keys, the funk, and Stevie's wonderful voice.
Own it, love it. Listened to Innervisions instead, because I don't own it (yet). Both are 5. Stevie is God.
Amazing album. It's so easy to overlook Stevie Wonder sometimes, but this album is always worth coming back to.
I'm familiar with some of his more famous songs because Stevie Wonder is, well, iconic to say the least but never actually listened to a full album by him. Lemme just say I'm kicking myself for missing out and this Aussie gives Talking Book five lamingtons out of five.
I've been busy so I had to go back to this one. Really loved it stevie wonder is great
This album is amazing! I can't believe how great Stevie Wonder's music is. What a genius. I can see all the influences he's had on musicians.
Precioso. R&B impregnado de funk con el sonido característico del Hohner Clavinet de Wonder. Tiene temazos.
Always love some Stevie! One of his best. Some favorites from the album included Maybe Your Baby, You've Got It Bad Girl, and Blame It On The Sun.
The album starts with calming chords and a soft groove. Then the groove heats up and stays strong. Each song has unique instruments and melodies that keep this a very interesting album all the way through.
Beautiful album. It’s like a love-child of funk and country but raised by classical. It’s soft and gentle but also thoughtful. Stevie Wonder has a perfect voice and he also has poignant lyrics. This album delivers pretty heavy stuff like love and heartbreak and rebirth and belief and faith but it’s done so lite and breezy. Stevie Wonder is a genius. Top tracks You are the sunshine of my life Big brother You and I Tuesday Heartbreak Iconic track Superstition
The two songs opening each side are excellent and very well known hits. For me, Superstition is his best song. Ray Parker will always be better known for his Ghostbusters song but his guitar on Maybe Your Baby is top shelf and really works well with the funkiness. Stevie delivers the electric piano and clavinet that makes Tuesday Heartbreak. I've never heard those instruments deliver a cool and funky vibe like this. Stevie's vocals on You and I might be his best on the LP. Jeff Beck's guitar on Looking for Another . . . is also quite good as one would expect from Jeff. I didn't know Stevie for his political songs. Big Brother is quite good and the words "You've killed all our Leaders" are particularly poignant given this album was made less than 5 years after Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were murdered. Different songs on this LP have very different features that make them soar. They are all good songs for very different reasons. An album that pulls this off meets my definition of a 5. As an afterthought, it's a great picture on the cover.
The best record of his career, and a monster of an album with chart hits and influential songs spilling out all over the place. I have always loved this record. I still do.
J'adore Stevie Wonder et cette album est merveilleux. Ça s'écoute très bien et superstition est une de mes préféré. 4.90
Absolutely brilliant. A masterpiece companion to Innervisions (all recorded pretty much in one go).
Magnificent. 'Maybe your baby' is pretty much the first part of Prince's career in 6:50...
Another incredible album by Stevie Wonder - probably my second favourite of his. Includes classics You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, You And I and Superstition.
STEVIE! I'll never understand how someone like Stevie Wonder can be overlooked, but here we are. Unfortunately it seems like the world won't show it's outpouring of appreciation for Stevie until he dies. He had an imperial period that ranks up there with the all-time greats and was as prolific as Prince. And that doesn't even take into consideration that, oh yeah, the dude is BLIND. Many point to "Superstition" being the signature, iconic track on this album and they're not wrong. But let's not sleep on the joy that is the opening track on this album. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" is full of joy and elation that captures exactly how happy it is to be madly in love with someone. The song itself is a party, where Stevie captures the happiness he's found in the world all in two-minutes and 45 seconds. We shouldn't wait until we lose Stevie Wonder to thank him for the joy he's given us.
Another essential funky soul/pop LP from Stevie's classic period. Probably my 3rd favourite after Songs in the key of life (5*) and Innervisions (5*).
This album is amazing. It has so much range in melody, instrumentation, and topics/lyrics. It shows instrumental and production virtuosity on every track, and it holds together as an album for an end-to-end listen. If you can't appreciate it, I'd question your appreciation for music in general. Nothing like it to pick you up on a rough day, too.
Fantastic album. All the funk. All the musicianship you love about Stevie Wonder. And Superstitious remains one of the best songs, ever.
Oddly the poorest track imo is You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, but the rest of the album is just indubitably excellent. Superstition. What a track. What an album. What a man
Je suis un grand fan des albums de Stevie Wonder du début des années 70. Voyons celui-ci de plus près. 1. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" incarne bien l'évolution de mon appréciation de Stevie Wonder. Alors que je n'aimais que les pièces funky et délaissais les balades qui m'apparaissaient plus sirupeuses, j'ai fini par tout embrasser dans un grand geste d'amour. Chanson délicieuse. 2. " Maybe Your Baby". Dès la première mesure, on accroche au mordant funky. Pendant les dernières mesures, on se demande quand ça va finir. Me paraît le maillon faible du disque à cause de sa structure en mode infini. 3. "Tuesday Heartbreak". On a envie de bouger notre corps doucement et d'aimer tout le monde. La magie de Stevie Wonder opère. 4. "You've Got It Bad Girl". Explorations dans tous les sens, tout en maintenant un cadre pop. La mélodie est accrocheuse malgré ses anomalies, les textures sonores vont dans plusieurs directions. Selon notre humeur, on pourrait juger que c'est trop sur ce dernier plan ou adorer le voyage. 5. "Superstition". Rien à ajouter sur ce formidable morceau dont les arrangements sont parfaitement équilibrés, l'interprétation vocale d'une justesse ahurissante. Cette chanson me fait toujours réagir avec la même ferveur. 6. "Big Brother". Malgré la progression harmonique toute simple, Wonder, réussit à surprendre avec des arrangements qui ouvrent une nouvelle porte par rapport à ce qu'on avait entendu plus tôt sur l'album :accents folks (est-ce un fingerpicking? eh non, c'est le magicien aux claviers). L'harmonica nous rappelle que Stevie en est un maître. Le message social est davantage mis de l'avant : Stevie n'est pas que musique, il est aussi conscience. 7. "Blame It On The Sun". Le Stevie sirupeux nous met au défi ici. Il suffit de plonger dans l'amour et la volupté pour apprécier. On se prend à regretter que l'amoureuse soit trop loin pour lui dire à quel point on l'aime. 8. "Lookin' For Another Pure Love" et 9. "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)". Le génie mélodique de Stevie Wonder nous prend d'un autre angle avec ces chansons. La guitare de Jeff Beck apporte une belle fraîcheur. Le tout, méditatif voire planant, ne peut qu'évoquer un lit défait, des corps nus... L'outro de "I Believe" montre qu'on peut utiliser la répétition à bon escient dans la finale d'une chanson, ce que "Maybe Your Baby" avait raté. Pas le meilleur de Stevie Wonder de cette époque, cependant cette écoute attentive n'a réussi qu'à me le faire encore plus apprécier, malgré ses quelques excès.
This album is chock-full of standouts. "Superstition", "Big Brother","Maybe Your Baby", "You've Got it Bad Girl" and "I Belive" easily push this album into 5 star territory for me.
I can't be unbiased about this. Stevie's my favorite. I remember holding this vinyl as a kid. The 70s synths feel like spending a sunny day on another planet to me. Favorite tracks are Superstition, Blame It On The Sun, and I Believe.
+You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition, I Believe -You and I But who knew the "I Just Called (to say I Love You" guy could also bring the funk and bring it hard? Maybe Your Baby goes hard with some seriously filthy-funky bass that you just can't help to bob your head to, and a few "ee-hees" years before Michael made it his trademark; this track clocks in at just under 7 minutes and is a party the whole way through. Tracks like You've Got It Bad Girl and Blame It On The Sun provide some welcome breathing room giving us some buttery-smooth, soulful R&B, frosted with Stevie's crooning. Big Brother takes a folksy turn and pulls it off fantastically, you'd almost think it was Paul Simon. The show concludes as strong as it starts with I Believe, which is a journey of itself asking us the question "Doncha wanna fall in love?"...I already have, Stevie! The only track I didn't fully enjoy was You and I, and it's really just a showcase of Stevie's prowess on the keys (which is top-notch here), but the song itself I could take or leave.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be a huge fan of this based on the overplayed "Superstition" and "You Are The Sunshine of my Life," but it really is an incredible album, flowing between moods and genres with ease. It sounds great and his voice is terrific.
It's almost effortless- so smooth. He really is one of the greatest. Just listening to Stevie makes the world a slightly less bad place. Of course there's the big hits but with repeated plays other songs come out of the woodwork. 'Lookin' for another pure love' is a case in point. There's an intricate balance going on all through this album- the singing, rhythm and the beat with the instruments all together. It's not that immediately apparent in my view.
I enjoyed listening to this album because Stevie Wonder is one of the musical greats. Superstition is a classic and I liked the jazzy tone of the rest of the album. Overall a well written and performed album.
Automatic 4 because of Superstition. The rest is hit or miss. Best track: Superstition
Stevie Wonder’s music can’t help but put a smile on my face. My favourites of his tracks aren’t on this album - but still a banger
Like I said oreviously it's hard to dislike Stevie Wonder. This album was better than the previous one. More concise and had a better structure. I liked it.
Was surprised that I knew a few songs. Some songs didn't like the songs but liked the lyrics.
First of all very cool stereo effects on the opening track. And a duet! Very psychedelic vibes on this track and the next. The last few minutes of Maybe Your Baby, with the guitar and bass combo, and the repetition of maybe your baby gonna make some other plans” is mesmerizing. On You and I, it’s so plain to see how amazing and insanely powerful Stevie Wonder’s voice is. Big Brother dresses a powerful indictment of the US government’s relationship to black people in bright-sounding melody and light, upbeat drums and... melodica? harmonica? Superstition is of course the famous one from this album, but Sir Duke is a mf BOP in equal, if not greater measure
I’m not going to be able to compete with Alex’s review here and his stellar use of “hogshead”, so I’ll just add that I really like how there’s more than one song where they just lock into the chorus and repeat it over and over and over and it never gets old. But yeah, bit of a mixed bag where the good is so good it makes you forget the forgettable.
This album is liquid sexuality. Every other song a hit, and the ones that aren't hits should have been. Big Brother is a standout favorite.
Superstitious enough to give this delightfully funky bunch of tunes lucky number 7. 7/10
I didn't know how much I could like Steve Wonder songs... It a great album with a lot of innovations and very pleasable songs. Much better than his most famous tracks, this album is very good
First of an indispensable array of albums. Not the best of the lot but a truly great r&b/soul effort, with some unforgettable tunes
Pari kovaa hittiä ja muuten taattua tavaraa. Kyllä tätä kuuntelee useamman kerran mielellään. Ei ehkä ihan vitonen, mutta neljä ja puoli.
What a beautiful day to listen to this album, relaxing, uplifting, throughly enjoyable.
When Stevie Wonder says, “...better wash your face and hands...” in Superstition, is he staying his belief that washing hands and face is superstitious and has no scientific value? There’s a lot of interesting stuff happening on this album, the reverb is all over the place in some songs, bouncing around my head, some great funky keyboard, some Mort Gorson Plantasia esque instrumentals and modulated voice experiments. Stevie Wonder’s singing and vocals don’t really resonate with me snd I found myself wondering if this was instrumental or if he produced it for another singer if I would’ve enjoyed it more. Some of the songs slap and are super funky, others have some great licks and hooks. “Looking for Another Love” and “I believe when I fall in love” are transcendent instrumentally buy the singing and lyrics are just meh. Though it didn’t resonate with me I really respect the effort, it would be a 5 if I liked his voice/lyrics more. But I’ll give it an A-.
After a string of rock albums, this was refreshing, and pure joy. Front to back not a dud on the record. Stevie writes these incredible chord progressions that are beautiful, complicated, but sound simple. I think he was playing around with some interesting electronics and synthesizers on this one. along with whatever that e-clavichord thing is on Superstition. Interesting textures. I looked up the musicians who performed on this and was surprised to see it's mostly Stevie. Stevie on drums, Stevie on keys, Stevie playing keyboard bass. Stevie singing backup for Stevie. The last song, and I think one of his best, was all Stevie on all instruments. Wonder what Stevie thinks when he hears Dylan play the harmonica like he's blowing on a grilled cheese sandwich? One last thought that might be only interesting to me - I was really struck by a blind man singing "I can't wait to see your face inside my door". A
Amazing vocals, interesting song writing and nice grooves from start to finish. Will definitely be revisiting for another listen in the future.
Might even like this more than songs in the key of life - definitely a little easier listen given its relative shortness. He really just knows how to make music - Superstition is phenomenal Saved: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Superstition
Album flows very well. All the themes are in the Stevie Wonder style - funky, about love. I didn't enjoy the slower ballad-like songs as much as bangers, such as Superstition, however in the context of the album, they worked very well.
I expected a lot of this album going into it, after all it is considered fairly legendary. I wasn’t disappointed necessarily, but it definitely didn’t live up to the hype. Overall, it was pretty average, save a couple songs like superstition. Because of that, regardless of it’s inability to live up to the hype, it was still a pretty good album. 3.5/5 so I’ll give it a 4.
A great listen and some incredible standouts. Needless to say, Superstition is incredible
His 15th studio album emanates a confidence and precision in his usual mix of soul, funk and jazz. You can tell from Wonder and the band are truly dialed in with years of experience. It's a delightful experience with one of the most iconic voices ever.
This album, along with his later Songs In The Key of Life, stands as a testament to the talent and vision of Stevie Wonder. After years under the watchful eye of Motown head Berry Gordy, Stevie began navigating his own way in Motown. And his way was a satisfying mix of classic R&B sounds updated with outstanding keyboard/synth playing, a dash of funk, and a couple of chill ballads. His subject matter dabbles in the political, while still appealing to the mainstream (and crossover) listeners of the day. The two hits, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, and Superstition, deserve all of their accolades, though they come from near-opposite ends of the Stevie spectrum. The dreamy keyboard intro and softly crooned opening lines of ...Sunshine might trick one into thinking it is no more than a sappy love song, but when the horns kick in, the drums snap, and Stevie lets loose with his voice, you know his message is deeply felt. Who wouldn't want this song sung to/about them? Superstition, on the other hand, hits hard, both musically and lyrically, but with the same signature passion. His clavinet playing pretty much defines the instrument, and again, the horns add a brassiness (yes, I KNOW!) that elevates the arrangement. Stevie's howling vocals project the pessimism that was growing among the civil rights issues of the day. The musicians are super-tight, with shining additions by guest David Sanborn on Tuesday Heartbreak, Jeff Beck on Lookin' for Another Pure Love, and Ray Parker, Jr. (of Ghostbusters fame!) ripping a great solo on Maybe Your Baby - a song that provides a rather direct-line influence to Stevie's R&B-flavored pop successor in the next decade, Prince. All in all, an enjoyable listen, with some VERY high points.
Admittedly, I’ve never listened to a Stevie Wonder album, I’ve only ever listened to an album of his hits which is easy to do because Stevie is incredible. I’m glad this was my first full Stevie Wonder album I enjoyed it much like the rest of his work. This album really gives me all kinds of vibes and feelings, perfect for a stroll around the block, dancing here in my house, or singing out loud Top tracks: you are the sunshine of my life, superstition, you and I, believe (when i fall in love it will be forever)
I'm a sucker for old Stevie Wonder albums. Talking Book is like a key to an era that I wasn't able to experience but would've loved it. This album just makes me smile. The key characteristic of this album is the Wah guitar, on and it's just a really cool sound like a 'brown-chicken-brown-cow' without the porn. It's a wonder this sound didn't dominate more albums back in the day. I think if it had, it'd be one of those minor annoyances like saxophones are. Anyway, the album... You are the Sunshine of My life opens the album and it's one of those perfect sappy guilty pleasure songs that I just can't get enough of (and makes me want to drink orange juice). The keyboard and congas on this are just lovely. Superstition is the break out hit, but there are some really good ones that are overlooked. Big Brother has got some understated grit with political undertones. Evidently SW played all the instruments on the recording. The song 'I Believe' is a great outro striking a hopeful reflective note that leads me back to the beginning of the album and hoping for an excellent follow up ... 'Songs in the Key of Life', I'm talking to you...
Stevie Wonder rapidly approaching peak status here - the heavy use and layering of synthesizers and played in large part only by Stevie himself give it a looseness that crosses between soul, funk, and rock. Virtually everyone on earth knows who Stevie Wonder is and is at least passably familiar with at least a few tracks so there's not much intro to the artist needed here - "Superstition" is one of the all-time classic songs and is the clear gateway-drug for this record. "Tuesday Heartbreak" makes me think of summer vacation driving with the top down. "I Believe" is a great album closer - end credits vibe on this one - just a simple and perfectly catchy chorus. Although it does suffer from what a number of the other songs have... ...if there's a knock - and there is - I do find a fair few of these songs to ... just not quite be *there* yet. As if they could have spent 3 more months in the writing room before release - "Maybe Your Baby" sounds fantastic and starts well with a great groove but it stagnates and is just far too long. Many of the others are slow and hard to latch onto - slow in and of itself connotes neither negative nor positive but slow and at times meandering gets dangerously close to boring. So the classic Stevie sound has been established here and rating aside...this is an excellent listen - nearly keeper status. But to me this is just his launching pad for Hall of Fame status which would come literally months later with Innervisions. 7/10 4 stars.
I really liked it overall it was a really good album however a lot of the songs started to become really repetitive and unnecessarily long which is why it’s not getting the highest rating however I did love the album
Sounds like something that could have came out in the 90s at least. Production is unique for the 1970s.
This is a musician! Guy can play. He can sing. He has a complete mastery from his appearance on the scene for what it is to be Stevie Wonder. While I know many other Stevie songs that I like more than some that are on this album, you can't deny his talent and ability to put together an album. The soul and funk is on full display in songs like Maybe Your Baby and Superstition, but also beautiful love songs that are catchy and understated are here like You and I and Sunshine of my Life.
Included superstition. Skipped a couple of tracks that were weird but overall I liked it.
Funky, soulfull album. Superstition is een top nummer. Album over de hele lijn wel oké
More interesting instrumentally than earlier Stevie Wonder, and the sons are, of course, great.
Gets a little same-y as it goes along, but you can't deny Stevie's musicianship and ingenuity. The synth work on this is wonderful.
Not what I expected. Very funky and cool. For some reason I thought it would be 80s pop music.
Classic 70s era funky sound. I get some Michael Jackson vibes, so Stevie may have been his influence. Classics Superstition and You are the Sunshine of my Life, but there are several other pleasing songs as well
Groovy and bittersweet, love it. Favorites: You Are The Sunshine Of MY Life, You And I, Superstition
Superstition is one of the best songs and you are the sunshine of my life is a classic but the rest of the album fell flat
On first listen this didn't grip me at all - was leaning towards 3 stars. A day later and a second listen and I liked it a lot more. Maybe I was in a mood? The slower more saccharine tunes I could do without, but overall a worthy listen. Fave track - I mean, c'mon, "Superstition" absolutely slaps! "Big Brother" was also great...
Truly a beautiful album, composed by one of the biggest talents in music, beautiful lyrics with music that is as groovy as it was when it came out, and touching with Wonder showing his emotional side that touches you deeply. Fav Tracks: You are the Sunshine of my Life, You and I, I Believe
Classic Stevie Wonder, though I would like a little more funk. The constant laid back nature gets just a little bit boring throughout the entire album. That being said, this does have "Superstition" on it, which almost completely makes up for that. Favorite Tracks: "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Maybe Your Baby", "You And I", "Tuesday Heartbreak", "You've Got It Bad Girl", "Superstition", "Big Brother", "Blame It On The Sun" 4.5/10
A really good funk/soul album with more mellow tracks than expected. Stevie Wonder has the vocals to carry the more subdued tracks, and the funkier tracks sport wonderfully jazzy instrumentation. BEST TRACKS: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Maybe Your Baby, Tuesday Heartbreak, Superstition, Blame It On The Sun WORST TRACKS: N/A
Overall enjoyable but some songs really dragged on into jam territory. Superstition is a masterpiece.
Great album, so many hits on it. I feel like the hits really hit, but there were a few misses on it (some of the super funky stuff wasn't really my taste), so that's why it's not a 5 for me.
So I'm never a fan of SW's slowest songs... they just don't hit me the way they're supposed to (looking at you, You and I/Blame It on the Sun (side side note: I think it's due to production as much as songwriting)). But anything above a ballad tempo is perfection. Of course we love the mega hits off of this, but I also loved the funk of Maybe Your Baby and the country/folk/blues feel of tracks like Big Brother. Not the highest peaks of SW, but a solid album.
Bought this album while on a record shopping trip with Elaine pre Rhonda Rona. I love this Stevie. He’s still singing and harmonizing without overwhelming tracks with his vocal power. It’s so beautiful and melodic. Puts me in such a spiritual mood.
Funkowy tydzien, ale jednak inaczej, bo pierwszy raz na liscie Stevie Wonder, czyli postac ikona, ktorej muzycznie jednak nie kojarze za bardzo, talking book jest to 15 album w jego dyskografii z roku 72, w tamtym czasie mial 22 lata i juz 15 albumow za pasem, wiec juz nie dziwne dlaczego jest okreslany on geniuszem, nie tylko przez fakt bycia niewidomym muzykiem, ale czego dowiedzialem sie po tym albumie, multiinstrumentalista, kompozytorem, lirykiem, prawdziwy czlowiek orkiestra, niby pietnasty album, ale podobno dopiero drugi w klasycznym okresie Wonderowym, wiec dobry material na start, co rzuca sie na uszy, to fakt, ze wiekszosc trakow jest stworzona w calosci przez Wondera, kawalki z piecioma instrumentami, to standard tego albumu, wiec jest mocne lejerowanie dzwiekow, sporo synthowego brzmienia ktore nadaje soulowym lirycznie kawalkom funkowego brzmienia, a co za tym idzie przenosi je blizej mainstreamu, jak jeden z hajlajtow plyty maybe your baby, czy superstision, ktore mnie najbardziej kupily swoim brzmieniem, obok nich na plejke dodam jeszcze otwierajacy you are the sunshine of my life, 4 z 10 kawalkow byly wspolpisane, dwa z ex zona Syreeta Wright, a dwa kolejne z Yvonne Wright, zbieznosc nazwisk przypadkowa, plyta tak dobra, ze nawet pan prezydent hamerykanski mial z niej kawalek do slubu, chodzi o obamow i songa you and i, motywem przewodnim plyty bedzie milosc i jej odcienie, wiec jest w czym wybierac, ale nie zabraklo miejsa na ambitniejsze tematy spoleczne, jak na superstitions czy big brother, ktory ma w swoje sporo folkowego brzmienia przez, to ze glownym instrumentalem jest hamronijka, dodatkowo liryka oparta na orwelowskiej tworczosci, 43 minuty sluchowiska roznorodnego gatunkowo i stylistycznie, ktore zacheca do zapoznania sie z reszta klasycznej tworczosci Wondera
Gorgeous album that I expected to like but turned out I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Gorgeous arrangements that are at first glance simple and accessible but on closer inspection have some real complexity thar I never thought they did specifificalky the first song...You are the Sunshine and the closer; I Believe. Some superb drumming / percussion Golightly my favourite moments. 4.5 🌟
Enjoyable! Loved the groove of it - grew up with some of this music so it was fun to re-listen.
Really liked two thirds of this a lot. Steve Wonder is a fantastic singer/songwriter plus a talented musician. Wouldn't have guessed he did drumming throughout this and the bass was actually from a moog. Favourites are You And I, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Big Brother.
Somewhere there’s a dictionary with a definition of sublime. And next to it is “I believe …”. I assumed this wasn’t a great album. And it is mixed. But that track and Superstition lift it to another level. I’ll need to revisit it
Another great album highlighted by “You are the Sunshine of My Life” and “Superstition,” but features many of Wonder’s strong, but softer songs.
You are the sunshine of my life: Unreal. 5/5 Maybe your baby: Just runs a bit long. 3.5/5. You and I: 3.5/5 Tuesday heartbreak: Funky! 4/5 You've got it bad girl: Yes. 4.5/5 Superstition: 5/5. Of course.
A very funky album, with some brilliant tracks. Wonder's punchy clavichord keeps this disc moving and grooving as it ambles between dancey numbers to more crooning ones
Great 70's album, love ballads, political commentary and some huge funk bangers. Everyone know "you are the sunshine" and "superstition" but give a good listen to "big brother" and "maybe your baby".
Loved it so much! Not my favorite from Stevie but definitely a good one. The closing track is amazing, especially the last 1:30.
“Talking Book” is Stevie Wonder’s fifteenth album. He was 22. That alone, considering the quality of the material here, is a remarkable achievement. This album is acknowledged as the start of Wonder’s golden period, after he’d stopped just having to churn out albums at the behest of his record label. Breaking free and flexing his songwriting muscles a little more, he was really only just getting started with “Talking Book.” It had no right to be as good as it is. I hadn’t heard it before bar the two biggest hits (“You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” and “Superstition” have been unavoidable for fifty years), so it was an interesting listen. Very much an album of two halves: the gritty, clavinet driven funk ala “Superstition” (see “Maybe Your Baby”, “Tuesday Heartbreak”), and the softer, dare I say schmaltzier ballads ala “…Sunshine of my Life” (see “You and I”, “You’ve Got It Bad Girl”). At times it gets a little too syrupy: if “Sunshine” feels a bit slight, then “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” and “Lookin For Another Pure Love” leave even less of an impression on first listen. Their corniness seems, in part, due to the instrumentation. The electric piano and some of the synth leads used have become synonymous with soft 70s fluff. Wonder’s vocals, however, are enough to keep them buoyant, and he displays great range between the more mellow numbers and the harder-edged rock. The weaker songs aside, there were some great surprises in “Talking Book”. “Big Brother” is a laidback treat fusing Orwellian nightmare with racial and social commentary, still managing to sound melodic and carefree with some classic, tasteful Wonder harmonica lead. Then “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” is almost transcendent as a closing track: multi-layered vocal crescendo, dynamic performances, a simple and heartfelt chorus. “Talking Book” is half really great and half pretty good. It might not be Wonder’s best and it might be a little uneven. But the hits really hit, and any album with a career-defining banger like “Superstition” on it can’t score below four stars. Them’s the rules.
So much of this album sounds like a Casio keyboard demo that it's hard to give it any stars. The only thing saving this from a one-star review is "Superstition" which is good enough to garner almost two stars on its own. It's truly a standout track. Literally. It stands out because it doesn't match the rest of the album at all. There are a few other tracks that aren't too bad but nothing approaches the mountain of a track that is "Superstition".
Nice record. I don't vibe that hard with it, but you can't deny it has some awesome songs
Recognize Superstition. First half of the album was doo-doo, the later half is better. But will never listen to this again, probably.
This was good but not great. Superstition is obviously a banger but there was nothing else amazing.
Ei ihan minun genreni, mutta kyllähän Stevien ääni toimii. Varsinkin hitaammat biisit oli erittäin tunnelmallisia. Revittelybiisejä ei ihan samalla tavalla jaksanut.
Lovely, relaxing and thoughtful Vibes. 3/4 of the album are quite average by today's standards though and not quite the level of epic I'd expect.
This was incredible. Seems like the album Stevie always wanted to make. Last track is amazing.
Ya intenté salir y volver a entrar al grupo y nada. Sigo siendo 1001must y deberán vivir con ello. El disco está chido y ya. No venimos aquí a ser tapadera de nadie. No es cierto, sí me gusta, es un walking book.
Stevie Wonder two days in a row, weird. I don't like this album as much as Songs in the Key of Life, but Superstition is one of my favorite songs of his.
Es todo un master de la guitarra y tiene un estilo único, pero me pareció plano e interminable. 3.5
Good one. the first ever full album by Stevie I've ever heard, hope there are others on the list
Without the historical context, when listening to this in isolation.....it's difficult not to just form the simple conclusion that it sounds nice. sort of 3* levels of inoffensiveness
Miellyttävää musaa, mutta vähän turhan imelää. Hittibiisi suoerstition on hitti. Yllärinä oli kantaaottava Big Brother!
Stevie is a smooth operator and a super talent. A good solid album but only a few great songs for me. 3*
Stevie Wonderille 5. Levyn kappaleille yleisesti 2 poislukien Superstition, mikä on ainakin 4,5. Tästä täysin epäpainotettu keskiarvo 3.
I don't know about this. Stevie is a legend, but I just don't really like this style of music. The hits are fun, but the rest just isn't for me.
Some nice Stevie. A little cheesy in places but some great tracks, not my favourite album of his but some others are bound to be on this list
Take out superstition and couple of other good tracks and you have a perfectly pleasant album - not sure I ever got the fuss
I mean, you gotta love a bit of stevie wonder! Some classics on there like 'superstition' and some I'd never heard before but enjoyed like 'big brother' -wasnt so into the slow ones but altogether a good album
I will listen to "Superstion" every time it comes on. The rest of the album... I guess it's okay. I don't think I have heard any of the other songs before. With only a first listen, there might be stuff I'm missing. 3 stars
Pretty solid album, I liked all of the songs, but only the well known songs stood out for me. 3/5 stars.
I’m told that Stevie Wonder is amazing to listen to if you’re the kind of person who likes analyzing chord progressions in every bit of music you listen to. As it is, I’ve always been a “three chords and the truth” kind of girl, so this just sounds actually kind of bland. Not for me, except for . . . favourite track: “Superstition” (which is a banger)
Superstitious is superduperfuckingfantasticalicious!!! It’s one of my favorite songs of all time…yes it’s solidly on my top 20 list. That reminds me that I need to update that list. The clavichord riff is other worldly funk royalty. I had to do some research to figure out it’s a clavichord, and I also found out that Jeff Beck came up with the opening drum part when messing around while Stevie was out of the studio. Stevie came back in and improvised the famous riff and the rest is history. It’s amazing that a seemingly meaningless jaunt by a guitarist on the drums turned into a song adored by so many. Life is funny that way. Big Brother is a solid song. It’s a pointed swipe at disingenuous politicians making empty promises. There some unique sounding instruments that I couldn’t figure out what they are, but I really like them. I also love You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. Stevie’s voice shines through especially well. Maybe Your Baby rambles and rambles and rambles at the end. It’s evidence that modern pop music isn’t the only genre to endlessly repeat the same line over and over. The unfortunate thing is I quite enjoy the first 3 1/2 minutes of the song, especially the instruments, while the last 3 1/2 minutes tear down some of that good will. There are too many misses on this album; like Blame It On The Sun, Lookin’ For Another Pure Love, and the aforementioned Maybe Your Baby; for it to be in my regular rotation. In the end, this album is like a very talented procrastinator…very capable of high end results, but you just can’t seem to get those results consistently.
Talking Book is ambiguous. It is another Wonder's funk masterpiece, with heavy bass lines, grooving sounds, dancing melodies and enchanting love lyrics. On the other hand, it is another Wonder's album with heavy bass lines, grooving sounds, dancing melodies and enchanting love lyrics. Talking Book is good but not surprisingly good. The most famous songs are probably the best of the albums and the few others only feel like transitions as they won't be remembered. Talking Book stays as a good album but not Stevie's best.
Top 3 1. (3) You And I 2. (6) Superstition 3. (10) I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a Stevie Wonder album before, despite obviously being familiar with the hits. This kicks off with that dreadful Casio keyboard backing track sound he is so fond of, with the intro to You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. I hate it so much. But the rest of the record is varied and overall I am pleasantly surprised. His voice is much better than has ever really occurred to me before (he’s very much “great songwriter” rather than “great singer” in my head). Superstition is obviously phenomenal. You And I is beautiful, and new to me. And I Believe finishes the album on a really lovely uplifting note that had me immediately pressing play to listen to the whole thing again - including the cheesy Casio bit.
I like 3 songs on this LP: “Superstition” (of course); “Maybe your Baby” for its super fat funky keyboards and background vocals (all Stevie); Big Brother with it's almost bluegrass feel and protest lyrics. The ballads, on the other hand, are hard to stomach, but since it is Stevie (and he plays drums to boot), I’ll give it a passing grade.
Superstition is a fantastic song, but the rest of the album is pretty meh. This only gets 3 stars because Superstition is a 5 star song.
pfff, its soooo slowwww the first part, does nothing to me, from superstition onwards some songs with schwunggg and helps one more *
Great start to this listening project. Both enjoyable to listen to with some touches of experimentation throughout. 3/5 Stars
Hummar jag glatt med: japp Passar musiken i en hiss: absolut Berör det mig: inte det minsta
Bylo fajne calkiem, superstition to wiadomo, hit. Ale jakoś nie porwało mnie, może za mało wondera sluchalem.
Superstition is the best song on this album and it is not even close. The remaining songs were alright but there is a drop off.
Not my type of genre but there were some solid bops in there. Not a boring or offensive listen. I could fairly happily play it again if nothing else came to mind.
Pop/Soul, der anscheinend viel geprägt hat, was danach kam. Nicht schlecht, aber nichts was ich mir andauernd anhören will. Geschmacksache halt. Irgendwas zwischen 3-4.
Wonder's vox come through much more powerfully here than on 'Key of Life,' a marked improvement given how talented he is as a singer. Though the LP feels more like a grab bag of songs rather than a cohesive album (too much tempo/styling variation), there are enough highs here to keep things enjoyable throughout the 45-minute runtime.
Held together by its absolute classic of a single in the middle half of the record it’s a great record over a decade into his career. Good stuff!
p268. 1972. 3.5 stars He knows how to write a tune for sure - there are absolute classics here (You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Superstition, I Believe). Having said that, points deducted for some songs outstaying their welcome (Maybe Your Baby) and it does drift to "easy listening" mode far too easily. Probably on the list for historical reasons as it's generally recognised as the first of his "classic" albums. It's OK, with some real highlights, but there are better Stevie Wonder albums.
So what I learned from this is that while Stevie is an unquestionably good composer, not every piece he writes is good. "Maybe Your Baby" was both horrendous & endless. Already own, but questioning that decision.
Some great songs here. Some less exciting songs as well. Stevie can really craft an album though. The flow is slippery smooth.
Superstition is an absolute powerhouse of a track, and its squelchier, weirder cousin Maybe Your Baby is pretty great too (are they pitch-shifted vocals I can hear, before they were cool...?!) There are a few other neat bits and pieces but a lot of it is too saccharine for my tastes.
Well blind this lad. Doesn't stop him though does it? Maybe he's faking it and he can actually see.
About 9 years ago I was performing at Glastonbury’s cabaret tent and a strange bloke jumped on stage in a pair of green Speedos, waving a stick and an orange, shouting: “When the sun shines upon the earth, it is Planet Sex.” Everyone in the audience suddenly goes full Glastonbury, shouting: “Let him be! Let him express himself!” Then he dropped the orange and the stick and pulled out a knife. I asked him: “What are you going to do, butter me to death?” Then he skipped off stage and into the fields. He killed 4 people.
Superstition is such a great song. Much of the album is saccharin sweet or bland though.
Stevie is amazing in so many ways, and there are some great tracks -- iconic classics -- on this album. Much as I recognize his ridiculous musical talents, overall his music never quite clicked with me. I don't mind when it's on, but I've never sought it out. Just a matter of personal taste, nothing more.
altough superstition will forever be a hit, i find the album as a whole kind of boring
Objectively good music, but not my cup of tea. "Blame it on the sun" was probably my favorite.
"This sounds like when you just sing to yourself trying to get something annoying done 'I'm trying to make a sandwich and I don't have any clean knives'"
Other than Superstition, I didn't connect with any of these songs. Definitely classic but not my speed.
This one was a major disappointment. Almost all of the songs are really sappy and boring. The album feels completely uninspired and pretty much devoid of personality. The only standout is Superstition which is a good track, even though it feels really dated by now. I Believe also had at least a little personality with its funky guitar tracks. But definitely not enough to lift this album out of tedious mediocrity. Sorry Stevie, I like your voice, but that's not enough when your songs are this boring.
This was a real step down from the last Stevie Wonder album about a week ago. Too much really soft wishy washy stuff. A couple of barely ok songs, but I'll never listen to it again. 2/5.
Not the best Stevie wonder album. Overall mostly forgettable....thought I would like it more. 2/5
Superstition one of the best songs ever. You are the sunshine of my life, pretty good. The rest of the album is dross
Amongst the sound of the rare jazz flute and a thoroughly disappointing album a wild superstition appears to mildly save the day. Boring as fool this album, except for superstition which is an all time monster.
I enjoyed listening to this album there were many songs I had not heard from Stevie wonder. Of course, You are My Sunshine and superstition are classics. And took me on a trip down memory lane. It's been a while since I've heard them. Overall to me it's an okay album I like three out of the 10 songs so about 30%. Not enough to make me purchase the album although I would have purchased singles. I found that sometimes it was hard to know if you had started a new song because so many of them sound alike. I will say that I was delighted to find the song You and I because it's a lovely song and I was not familiar with it.
Never liked Stevie Wonder, and I can’t really explain why. I feel almost guilty admitting that, but it’s true.
ну я конечно понимаю да, что чел заслуженный певец, музыкант, с кол-вом гремми как у дурака фантиков, общественный деятель ещё и слепой до кучи, да чел он классный, но если конкретно альбом оценивать, то это не моё ниразу - скучно, уныло
Alltså. Vi behöver prata om det här. Det här var NYHETER för mig. Eller åtminstone helt nya frågor. Som: Är Stevie Wonder, i själva fallet, Eilert Pilarm? Med det menar jag en artist som världen liksom kollektivt gått ihop för att hylla, trots att man egentligen tycker lite synd om honom, för att han (i Eilerts fall) är lite efterbliven, eller för att han (i Stevies fall) är lite blind och lite efterbliven. Jag hade ingen aning om att det förhöll sig så, faktiskt, men så måste det vara? Det finns ingen publik i VÄRLDEN som kan gå på en Stevie Wonder-konsert och göra annat än att klappa halventusiastiskt och le medlidande och tänka att jaja, det är ju synd om honom så vi får stå ut. För den här skivan var i själva verket FULLSTÄNDIGT obegriplig och fullständigt olyssningsbar. Öronhatande skräp. Men jaja, han ser ju inte vilka tangenter han trycker på och tror säkert att det låter bra. Så vi får stå ut.
30/100 look.... im sorry, but i fucking hated this hahahaha superstition is great song NO ONE IS DENYING THAT. but bc that song is so good it just made the other songs that much worse. like literally hard for me to listen to, like theres nothing that is enjoyable to me about them. some have good elements but its so bad in coordination with the other elements of the song. its like church music and not in a good way. u know the feeling when u been at a concert u dont rly like that much and ur tired standing there and u feel like ur gonna pass out but u cant leave cus u wanna hear that one song, thats how this album feels to me. ok mort buzz burke has begged me to relisten to the last track and enlightened me that he played every instrument and u know what this song actually aint bad either. you are the sunshine is a bad song maybe your baby is groovy hate you and i tuesday heartbreak bad i like 3 songs so 3/10
OK
This album allows us to listen to a well-crafted pop, has a 70's taste to it, adds spices like sounds from Hohner clavinet, and other embelishments Stevie Wonder uses to build his garden of sounds. This album has him finally free from Motown's reigns, and his keyboard commands the music from a vantage point.